Darjeeling Inheritance (The Colonials)
In 1930, Charlotte Lawrence is finally done with boarding school in England and returns home to India and her family’s tea plantation. Her companion and friend, Ada, accompanies her. Ada will marry Harry Banning, a neighborhood planter. But when Charlotte arrives home, she discovers that her father has died and left the tea plantation to her, along with the wishes that she marry Andrew McAllister, another neighbor.
Charlotte is overcome with sadness, and unsure about what to do. She hesitates to marry a man she doesn’t know so, postponing the arrangement, she instead asks the assistant manager, Dan, to teach her everything about owning a tea plantation. As she learns more about the life of a tea planter, she begins to develop a sense of herself, and discovers what she truly wants in life. Meanwhile, Ada, bored with her marriage to Harry, begins a sordid affair with Andrew. Ada also discovers some secrets in the McAllister family. She plots, contrives, and meddles.
Harris incorporates good detail about tea plantations and the way of life in colonial India. Readers learn quite a lot about life on British tea plantations. And while Charlotte is a bit too naive and obedient, Ada makes a nice contrast and diversion with her deviousness. This is an enjoyable read, full of romance, and with enough treachery and intrigue to keep interest throughout.
